Condemn Weaponisation of Hunger in Gaza’s Genocidal War

The authorities in Israel and the United States have converted hunger into a weapon in their war of genocide in Gaza, where more than 600 young Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli forces in the past four weeks as they struggled for food packets distributed at the aid delivery centres operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) controlled by the two countries.

The United Nations agency for refugees (UNHCR) has reported that since late May, when the GHF took over aid distribution in Gaza, there were as many as 613 deaths due to gunshots at the aid centres. These figures were put together based on information from various sources including the hospitals as on June 27, but the agency said there were many more such incidents in the days since then. The WHO has also reported that the Nasser Hospital at Khan Yunis in Gaza, one of the few hospitals still functioning in the enclave, is now a “massive trauma centre” as they have to take care of hundreds of cases of gunshots everyday from the aid centres. There were at least 4000 gunshot injuries at aid centres in the past four weeks, according to Palestinian officials.

The GHF had taken over aid distribution in Gaza, as Israel denied permission to the UN aid agency and other international aid organisations to operate in Gaza. The UNRWA (The United Nations Relief & Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) had been operating 400 aid distribution centres in Gaza, but they were forced to withdraw from the scene by Israel and the United States, who accused members of the UN agency of collaborating with “terrorist” outfits.

The GHF operated only four aid delivery centres in Gaza, three in the south and one at the centre but none at the north where the situation is extremely dire. This is totally inadequate as Gaza has a population of more than two million people. Since there is no independent access to food and other items in Gaza, people have to throng at the aid centres for their mere existence. It’s on these unarmed and helpless people that the Israeli forces are firing indiscriminately, killing at random. Most of those killed or wounded have bullet injuries on their heads and upper parts of their bodies, according to medical officials. It shows the real intention of the forces. In fact these aid centres are now widely described as death traps.

This is a situation quite unimaginable in a civilised world, but it is happening in front of the eyes of the global public. Many international agencies and human rights organisations have called for immediate suspension of the operations of GHF and for the return of aid delivery operations to the UN and other agencies. But neither the US nor Israel is willing to listen to world public opinion.

The world should raise its voice in unison against such criminal acts on the part of Israel and the US against the people of Gaza. It is genocide that is being caried out there unmindful of the global public opinion. This must stop. The SDPI calls upon the people of India to raise their voice against the terrible injustice being heaped upon the Palestinians people in the Gaza strip.

Elyas Muhammed Thumbe
National General secretary